This tour takes us through a diverse range of landscapes from Melbourne down to the Greater Otway National Park and the world renowned Great Ocean road. Features of this tour include visiting wetlands on Port Phillip Bay, birding along Victoria’s Surf Coast with its coastal heathlands and beaches, and time spent further west in the extensive Greater Otway National Park where high rainfall and lush forest are home to beauties such as Australian King-parrot, Satin Bowerbird and Pink Robin.

The coastal scenery attracts visitors from all around the world, plus there are many quiet tracks to explore to experience the peace and tranquility of these wild forests. Whilst there are beautiful lookouts all along the way, the Twelve Apostles and nearby sites in the Port Campbell NP attract the most international attention and if required can be included in this tour. Seeing Koala in the wild is very likely, the Otways region has one of the best populations of this iconic animal

The extensive forests in the area are home to a diversity of other animals, and a spotlighting outing is always interesting. Previous tours have located active Koalas walking about, Eastern Grey Kangaroo, Red-necked Wallaby, Swamp Wallaby, Yellow-bellied Glider, Brush-tail Possum, Southern Boobook, Tawny Frogmouth, and occasionally a Dusky Antechinus or Swamp Rat.

Amongst a long list of birds likely to be encountered on this trip, some are local specialities such as the Rufous Bristlebird, Striated Fieldwren, Gang-gang Cockatoo, Olive Whistler, Pink Robin, Satin Bowerbird, Crescent Honeyeater, Chestnut-rumped Heathwren, Forest Raven, Southern Emu-wren and Beautiful Firetail

Summer migrants add to the mix between October and March including Blue-winged Parrot, Satin Flycatcher, Rose Robin, Rufous Fantail, various Cuckoos, White-throated Needletails and Sacred Kingfishers

And along the coastline ocean birds include Hooded Plover, Sooty Oystercatcher, Black-faced Cormorant, Pacific Gull, plus Shy Albatross offshore. In the cooler months Black-browed Albatross and Giant-Petrels are often seen, as well as the occasional White-fronted Tern ( a migrant from New Zealand)

And to cap it off the road trip down there takes us past Port Phillip Bay with its diverse wetland, grassland and woodland environments which will undoubtedly add many species to the bird list.

PRICES: Private booking $3,360-00 total - single person price $3,685-00 total - two person/shared room SHARED tours - $2,130 per person (single rooms) when split two ways , $1,720 per person (single rooms) when split three or more ways Prices includes two night’s accommodation and meals starting lunch day one to lunch day three plus drinks (non alcoholic) and snacks.